What is a Thai Chair massage?

Thai Chair massage began in the 1980s as a hybrid of Traditional Thai massage. Since then, Thai Chair massage has become a sought-after treatment modality used within companies and offices, as well as in spas, health salons, shopping malls, and airports, to provide quick stress relief or fill in slack time.

In a Thai Chair massage session, practitioners have their recipients sit in a portable massage chair. Typically, the focus of the massage is on the back of the recipient, as well as the shoulders, neck, head, arms, and hands. Sessions are typically brief, lasting approximately fifteen to thirty minutes. Additionally, there is no oil used in this massage, as recipients remain fully clothed throughout the session.

Thai Massage done on a chair is not a new modality. For instance, Thai Foot Reflexology typically involves the client sitting in a chair, and the sessions often include the legs, neck, head, and shoulders. However, the chairs used in Thailand are more like sofa-like chairs, rather than the typical portable massage chairs found in the West.

A Thai Head, Neck, and Shoulder massage also involves the recipient sitting in a chair. This upper body massage is widely available throughout Thailand, particularly on the streets, in markets, and at malls.

Nevertheless, Thai Chair massage given on a portable massage chair is rare in Thailand. And training is even less common, as only a few Thai Massage schools in Thailand offer Thai Chair Massage courses and workshops. However, Thai Chair Massage training classes in the West are much more common.